Sewing machine take-up mechanism



Dec. 11, 1934. J. R. OLIVER 1,984,279

SEWING MACHINE TAKE-UP MECHANISM Original Filed June 4, 1931 3 SheetsSheet 1 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Dec. 11, 1934. OLIVER SEWING MACHINE TAKEUP MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed June 4, 1931 iNVENTOR! 5% R (QM ATTORNEYS,

Dec. 11, 1934. J R. OLIVER v 1,984,279

SEWING MACHINE TAKE-UP MECHANISM Original Filed June 4, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN TOR? v Jae; R. (9% \MZIMMXMW M I ATTORNE Y5 Patented Dec. 11, 1934 UNITED STATES 1,984,279 I SEWING MACHINE TAKE-UP MECHANISM John Roger Oliver, Medfield, Mass, assignor to Reece Shoe Machinery Company, Boston, -Mass., a corporation of Maine Original application June 4, 1931, Serial No. 542,048. Divided and this application May 7,

1932, Serial No. 609,827

8 Claims.

This invention relates to sewing. machine takeup mechanism, and more particularly to the takeup mechanism of power driven sewing machines such as those used for stitching leather or shoes,

5 a typical instance being theso-called outsole stitcher by which the outsole and welt of a shoe. are sewed together. The present application is filed as a division of copending parent application Serial No. 542,048 filed June 4, 1931 to which reference may be made for various details not particularly herein described and claimed.

The general object of the present invention is to afford a sewing machine of the power driven class having a take-up andoperating mechanism therefor which will be efficient and smooth of action.

Other and more specific objects and advantages of the present invention will be pointed out in the hereinafter following description of an illustrative embodiment thereof, or will be understood to those conversant with the subject. To the attainment of such objects and advantages the present invention consists in the novel sewing machine take-up mechanism and the novel features of operation, combination and construction herein illustrated or described.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of the upper portion or stitching head of a shoe outsole stitching machine constructed in accordance with the present invention, but with a number of parts omitted or broken away for purposes of better illustration.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary frontview showing in particular the parts concerned in the take-up mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a right elevation of the sewing machine with certain parts omitted or broken away.

Fig. 4 is a diagram indicating the nature of the motions of the several stitching instruments including the take-up, the diagram representing one complete stitch cycle orrotation of the operating shafts, and the zero point representing the positions of the several instruments at the preferred stopping point of the machine.

The fixed frame part or head 20 may be located at the top end of a post so that the operator may stand while handling the work. Bearings 21 give support to an operating or drive shaft 22 which may be power rotated, for example through a belt and pulley from a motor at the base of the machine. Above the drive shaft is asecond shaft 23 turning in an outer bearing 24 near its left end and in two frame walls, namely a left wall 25 and a right wall 26 upstandingfrom the base 20.

work but to effect the feed thereof. The awl is The second operating shaft 23 will be referred to as a stitching shaft, being connected for driving the needle and other instruments as explained in the parent application. The drive is communicated from the drive shaft to the stitching shaft by a system of cranks and links comprising a left crank Won the drive shaft 22, a right crank 28 on the shaft22, a left crank 29 on the shaft 23 and a right crank 30 onthe shaft 23; the two left cranks 27 and 29 being connected by a rod 31, and the two right cranks28 and 30, having a different timing from the left cranks, being connected by a rod 32. A hand wheel 34 on the shaft 23 is for the purpose of rotating it manually when' desired. s

Between the frame walls25 and 26 the upper or stitching shaft 23 is provided with cams or cranks for effecting operations of certainof thestitching instruments. The take-up however forming especially the subject'of this application is preferably operated from the drive shaft 22,- which carries an eccentric 41 for this purpose, as will be de scribed.

The stitching instruments, in a machine of the type referred to,-may include the following. The stationary work support A is in the form of a bracket attached to the left frame wall 25, its forward extremity arranged to support the work or shoe in'proper relation and being apertured for the alternate passage of the needle .30 from above and theawl from beneath. The shoe is preferably held manually in inverted position with itsoutsole substantially. horizontal, the welt and outsole overlying the work support to receive the interlocking upper and under threads, the former supplied by shuttle and bobbin and the ,latter being'subject to the action of the take-up and other controlmeans as tension devices,

thread lock, etc.

Above the work support, to overlie the work is the presser foot B, operable as described in the :parent case. The needle C is of the curved barbed type, its barbed point penetrating the work from above and receiving a loop of under thread below the work. The needle is steadied by a needle guide D. These elements B, C and D are actuated from the stitching shaft 23.

The awl F may also be actuated from the shaft 23 and is employed not merely to puncture the or supply the under thread, which may be waxed, 5

to the barb of the advanced needle, in which the thread hook cooperates with the looper, each of these having particular movements toward and from the stitching point.

The take-up device J which forms the particular subjectof this-application is.in the form of a rotary member or -.-disk J carrying a thread pulley J and operated as will be further described. The function of the take-up is to act upon the under thread in a manner to let out the thread while the threadis'beingpassed over the shuttle and to take it upagain thereafter, preferably to an extent causing the under .thread to draw down the upper thread slightly into .or below the top surface of the work at the com pletion of each stitch.

The shuttle K is shown of the rotary type adapted to engage and pass itself through a loop of under thread when held above the workbyithe needle and thread finger L, the shuttle thereby removing the thread from the-needle and passing it over the shuttle-to-interlock=it-with the-upper thread supplied by the usual bobbin mounted l in the shuttle. The shuttle is shown mounted on an inclined shaft K which -may be rotated at uniform speed.

The preferred timing and-relative-movements of the several stitching instruments B to L inclusive may be as indicated onthe diagram Fig. 4, in whichthe motion of the take up J, coordinated with the other instruments, particularly concerns the present invention.

The take-up J is shownin the formof a thin rotary disk with "its leftlface or side clear and carrying the grooved thread --wheel J near its periphery, the thread wheel thereby being-bodily shifted circularly as the disk rotatesabout its Asbest seen'inFigs. 2-and 3, the'movable or planetary thread'-wheel-or pulley J cooperates with a pair of thread guides -or :pulleys mounted on a fixed support or bracket 163. Thus the thread 'may come "from a :rear supply point, through a thread lock, and first pass over the top of the rear fixed pulley'lfi iand thence down and around the shiftable or' planetary guide-or pulley J and thence-upand aroundnthe :forward side of the frontfixed pulley'l65 andlithence up and into the thread channel within-therlooper fl and from "the looperto the work.

The specific arrangement: and construction "of take-up may be varied in accordance with conditions. The take-up or disk J is shown ashaving a hub or extension fl as shown in Figs.1'2 and 3. which extends to the right 'only, so' that there is no obstructionattheleft facezof' the disk J to interfere with the threadmovements. i'l-he diskhub is enclosed, with easy rrunningibearings, within a fixed hou'singorrsupportl 66 arranged in a fore and aft plane.

The take-up disk "J mayli'be connectedforrotation atpredetermined but 'va'riable sspeedv :as follows. At the right=or-interior side 'of the disk is-an operating crank or pin' I67, shown above the axis ofthedi'sk, and by WhiCh .the'disk'vmay be rotatedfor its take-up and thread giving movements. The movements of the pin 16'7 may be derived from the eccentric 41 onthedrive shaft 22. 'A'strap 168- surrounds saideccentric, and this strap hasan extended armror rod 169 carrying at itsfront end'the crank or-pin'*l67.

As the center it *of 'the eccentric '41 travels around the shaft 22 anorbitar-motionsis communicatedtothe'pin ".lfi'las 'follows. :In a radial slot 170 inthe-arm 169 is locatedlaiblocku'll swivelled on a fi-xed axle-"L72. As :theaeccentric travels clockwise about its axis the pin 16? will travel counterclockwise about its orbit, but at varying speeds and at varying distances from the axis of the disk J. To allow this motion the pin is mounted, not directly on the disk, but on a block 173 slidable radially in slot l'l lin the-hub'of the disk.

As shown, the eccentric is advancing clock- ;wise, and the pin and disk consequently advance counterclockwise continuously but at varying speed through the cycle of the machine. The radiusfrom 172 to axis approaching minimum while theradius 172-167 is approaching maxi- ;mum'and the angular swing of arm 169 maximum, so that the thread wheel will soon be reitracting'downwardly at maximum speed. Later whenthe-center mnears its other extreme position the conditions will reverse and the pin and thread wheel will return upwardly at slower velocity. Without showing the angular motion changes of the' disk its'elf,'let it be said that the fast and slow orbital motions-of the planetary thread wheel during'the 'ta'kingup and thread giving motions afford a very effective cooperationwith the other stitching instruments; it being borne in mind 2 ithat the take-up and give actions result from the travel of theplanetary guideor pulley J in relation to thefixed pulleys 164,165, and that during the slow movement of the pulley J around the 'lowerpart ofits pa'ththe'action onthe thread is practically zero.

Thedescribed arrangement is found to be very easy working-as well as compact and durable. The'ooopera'tionof the shifting take-'up'guide or pulleyJ with the-twofixed-pulleys 16% and give the result that a relatively small retracting movement of thetake-up aifordsa double extent of actual take-'up'of thread. The take up motion as a whole is-a'circular motion so that the usual Whipping action-of a take-up lever is eliminated.

"The timing of the take-up: action in relation to the other stitchinginstruments bo as indicated-in'the diagramof Fig. 4. An-under thread lock and/or tension will be understood, locking the thread during'taking up,-and allowing a measured lengthto be drawn from the supply at another time, as is well understood with machines of the kind. For example the thread lock'may lock andrelease as indicated in the diagram Fig. 4 in relation to the take up motion.

Having thus dcscribeda sewing machine embodyinga take-up -mechanism embodying the principles of the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to matters of operation, arrangement .or structure except to the extent set forth inthe respective claims.

WhatJis'claimed is:

'1: In a power operated barbed-needle twoithrea'd stitching machine, a transverse shaft, a work support, a shuttleiabove the work support adapted to-take an under thread loop from the 'retractedneedle'and pass the loop over itself, and a take-up below the work: support adapted to give out and takeup'the-under thread, comprising a 'disk,.a'thread: guide at the periphery-of the disk and means for rotating the disk continuously at variable speed'in'cluding a crank connected to the disk and'a connection-from the shaft tothe crank.

'2. In a power operated barbed-needle twothreadleather stitching machine, an operating shaft, a'- -work support, a shuttle above the work 'supportadapted to take an under thread loop from-'itheretra'cted:needle and pass the .loop over itself, a. looper below the work support to place under thread upon the needle barb, and a take up below the work support adapted to give out and take up the under thread, comprising a vertical disk, a thread'guide near the periphery of the disk, means for rotating the disk including a crank connected-to the disk and a connection from the shaft to the crank, a fixed position pulley over which the under thread passes from the supply to the disk guide, and a second fixed position pulley over which the thread passes from the disk guide to the looper.

3. In a leather stitching machine-of the class described, a guide pulley for supply thread, a take up pulley receiving thread from the guide pulley, a rotary carrier for the take up pulley, and means for rotating the carrier, comprising an operating shaft, a crank or eccentric actuator on the shaft, and a connecting rod from the actuator to the carrier, the connecting rod being slidable on a fixed center, its free end describing an orbit around the carrier axis, and a pin and slot connection from such free end to the carrier.

4. In a power driven lock stitch leather or shoe stitching machine, an operating shaft, a work support over which the work feeds, a barbed needle connected to penetrate the work from above, receive a loop of under thread and retract, a shuttle to receive the under thread and loop it over the upper thread, a looper below the work support to apply a loop of under thread to the needle, and take up mechanism comprising a carrier mounted below the looper for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, a connection from the shaft for rotating the carrier in time with the needle, shuttle and looper,

5. In combination, a take up disk J, an operating eccentric 41, a connecting rod 169 actuated by the eccentric and rocking on a pivot 1'72, and a pin 167 at the free end of the rod having sliding connection with the disk.

6. In combination, a rotatable take-up disk having a thread guide adjacentits periphery, an

operating eccentric, a connecting rod actuated by the eccentric, a pivot on which the connecting rod slides and rocks so that its free end describes an orbit in a direction the" opposite to the rotation of the eccentric, and a sliding connection between the free end of the rod and the take-up disk whereby the disk is rotated continuously at alternately fast and slow speeds.

7. The combination as in claim 6 and wherein the thread guide is located at such position on the take-up disk that it retracts orbitally at relatively high speed for the take-up motion, and returns orbitally at relatively slow speed for thread giving motion.

8. In a power operated, barbed-needle twothread stitching machine, in combination with the operating shaft and the needle and looper actuated therefrom, means for taking up the under thread, comprising a rotary member carrying eccentrically a thread pulley, connections from the operating shaft for rotating said member continuously to shift said pulley bodily around a circular path, and thread guides located exterior to the path of the shiftable pulley over which guides the supply thread passes to and from the shiftable pulley, whereby in one part of suchrotation the pulley is shifted from its advanced position nearest said guides with a retracting motion to its retracted position to take up such thread and in the remainder of such rotation is shifted from its retracted to its advanced position to give thread; the connections from the operating shaft being such that the retracting rotation of the pulley is at a relatively fastwhile its return rotation is at a relatively slow effective speed.

- JOHN ROGER OLIVER. 

